You call that justice?

Investors flame Enron settlement

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- J.P. Morgan Chase and Citigroup settled those pesky Enron allegations to the tune of $255 million on Monday, but the two megabanks might as well have been given a fruit basket as far as the cyber-public was concerned.

Yearning for a stiffer penalty, those surfing their way across the Internet's message boards have grown increasingly miffed at Corporate America's ability to avoid the guillotine. See full settlement story.

Over in Yahoo's feisty arena, RippleTum aptly captured the rampant frustration: "Why do they get off with a simply immaterial fine? Our government is not extracting the kinds of reforms that will make the banking system and brokerage businesses discontinue their improper behavior.

"If the government is not going to enforce the law and punish wrongdoing, then we are at the mercy of the criminals. Not a position where any of us should I want to be."

LenLemp clearly didn't want to be there: "Are any of the individuals who headed Enron
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going to spend even a day in jail for the economic terrorism they inflicted upon this country? Justice will be served when (former CEO) Ken Lay and his partners are penniless waiting in line at the soup kitchen.

"Unfortunately in America this sort of dishonesty/crime is rewarded and not punished."

In many cases, the dollar amount wasn't so much the issue; the peanut gallery wanted a face to put with the white-collar crimes.

Take YippyYoKiYay: "These fines should have been levied against the personal wealth of the crooks responsible, not the rank-and-file shareholders who had no idea this was occurring. And a healthy jail term would have been more convincing too."

Adds DamnChimpWreckedMySegway: "The criminals responsible for this fraud should have their assets confiscated as reimbursement and be sent to prison to rot. Instead they are 'punished' by fines paid with other people's money."

Finally, Tdeorio74 summed up the prevailing view this way: "(Enron auditor) Andersen was driven out of business for not detecting the fraud papered by two of the most prominent banks in the world. These fines might as well have been 5 cents. And no individuals charged or in any way held accountable? This is outrageous."

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